Finding a suitable job as a highly educated non-EU citizen is much more challenging in Belgium than in neighbouring countries, in part due to discrimination. This results in a large share of overqualified people.
Belgium has the second-highest job vacancy rate in the EU and industries have now called on governments for solutions, including opening more jobs to non-EU economic migrants, mostly to fill 'bottleneck professions' (with the highest vacancies). However, a survey by the Federation of Belgian Enterprises (VBO) found that employers face staff shortages at all skill levels. Some 60% believe migration from third countries would help fill labour and skills shortages.
Yet when it comes to high-skilled jobs, there are already many highly educated non-EU nationals living in Belgium who could fill these vacancies. However their educational background and non-EU qualifications prevent them from filling open positions.
Wage gaps and discrimination
Non-EU nationals moving to Belgium find it a lot harder to secure high-skilled jobs than in neighbouring countries, De Tijd reported based on Eurostat figures. They more often end up in jobs that don't require their diploma, making them overqualified.
In 2023, 36% of highly educated people who have migrated to Belgium were overqualified. This figure is significantly lower for native Belgians (21%) – a gap that has remained for over 15 years. EU nationals are comparable to Belgians in this respect.
By contrast, in Germany 30% of highly educated non-EU nationals fail to find jobs that match their qualifications; in France it is 29% and in the Netherlands 25%.
The national differences can partly be explained by the local demand and supply of highly qualified people. Professor of labour Dieter Verhaest (KU Leuven) explains that the wage gap between higher and lower-educated people also plays a role, as taking a job below a certain education level does not necessarily correlate with a large drop in income. "Since wage inequality is relatively low in Belgium, that may be part of the explanation."
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But it is likely that discrimination also contributes to the large gap. Studies have shown that discrimination against people with a migrant background remains high, resulting in some non-EU nationals lowering their employment expectations.
Furthermore, foreign diplomas are often not recognised or employers might struggle to compare them to Belgian qualifications. This is particularly true in the medical sector, where people must often retrain in Belgium to practise their profession.
This overqualification has several downsides: as well as missed opportunities to fill vacancies, it typically leads to lower pay and reduced job satisfaction.
